Ok, after lots of time worrying and reading all sorts of emails on the wrong radiator issue, here is what i did. I went to my local Ford dealer and told them i had the wrong radiator in my truck for the towing package i ordered. I did NOT expect fast results and i did NOT get them either. They swore up and down they had never heard of the problem and i was the first one to ever say anything. One week later a Ford rep supposedly looked at the truck (i left it there for the day while i was at work) and said there was nothing wrong. He started lieing by telling me that ford had redesigned that radiator and it now had the same capacity as the larger one and i had nothing to worry about. Of course i did not beleive this. After 3 or 4 months had gone by i took the truck in for some other minor problem. While the truck was there i told them to check the radiator again. Again they told me nothing was wrong. 2 weeks later i got a letter in the mail from Ford. The letter explained how ford had misprinted the radiator specs but would stand by their products. I was offered 2 choices.
1st choice - take my truck (and the mailer) to the dealer and they would install the bigger radiator.
2nd choice - except a check for $100 dollars and forfeit the bigger radiator.
Since i had driven the truck 4,000 miles across the US and thru the dessert with no problems and the literature swore up and down the truck was perfectly fine with that raditor i took the $100.

 

No new radiator but I got a 70,000 mile full drive train warranty.
If you want it you need to work for it.

 

 

After almost two months of thinking about what option to take, I cashed the check. My reasoning was this. I only needed the heavy duty radiator if I was going to pull over 7700 pounds. The truck can pull up to 8300 poounds or threabouts. Then, since I don't have a trailer now, but may buy one in the future, what might I get? I checked on the weights of various camping trailers. A 25 foot Flagstaff, fully equiped weighs in at about 6600 pounds. That was the clincher. Add to this that I am located in the Northeast without many steep grades and I feel that I'm safe. Besides, I can use the money for Christmas!
Best of luck with watever you do.

Russ

 

I received the same letter from Ford saying they would install the bigger radiator or pay me a $100. I have pulled a 7000 trailer over 10,000 miles in the last two years with out any problems. I am going to take the money.

 

The radiator controversy has been interesting to follow in this forum. After learning of the controversy, I measured the width of my radiator on my trailer towing package equipped F-150 (4.6L engine) and also found that I have a 1.0", as opposed to the 1.4" discussed in this forum. My truck, by the way, is a year 2002 model, as opposed to the 2001 models mainly discussed in this forum.

Today, I brought my concerns to the attention of my dealer, Steve Williams Ford in Lawrenceburg, TN. They researched the issue, and found the following:

1. The earlier 2001 specs called for a 1.4" radiator when a towing package was ordered. This was true for all such trucks ordered or manufactured on or before May 2001. Because the specs called for the larger radiator, Ford is offering the settlement described earlier. The main grounds for this is that those owners were told one thing, and something else was put into the truck instead. However, Ford maintains that the 1.0" is sufficient to handle the towing loads for which the truck is rated.

Those owners who fall into this category (trucks made prior to May 2001)will automatically be mailed information outlining what their options are, as described elsewhere in this forum. Some have already received the mailing; others are yet to receive theirs.

2. Those Ford F-150s made after May 2001 are subject to the revised specifications which call for a 1.0" radiator when a towing package is ordered.

3. Year 2002 Ford F-150s with trailer packages only come with the 1.0" radiator, and this is true for the 4.6L and 5.4L engines. Owners of Year 2002 models will probably not receive the mailing that certain owners of Year 2001 models will.

With my rig (Year 2002 F-150 Supercrew, 4.6L, 3.55 Limited Slip, Towing Pkge), I will be towing a trailer weighing 6000 lbs this summer. According to the specs, it should do fine. We will know in the summer.

I'd be interested in knowing other's experiences in towing loads in this general range, with the setup I've described above! Thank you.